This invention relates generally to blow-guns used to remove debris in a work environment and, more specifically, to a pivoting blow-gun having a pivoting barrel dimensioned to be manipulated into non-linear configurations in order to reach areas which might otherwise be difficult or impossible to reach with a non-pivoting barrel.
Blow-guns are commonly used to remove debris in a work environment, including for example in the engine compartment of a vehicle. When the area requiring the attention of a blow-gun is directly accessible, a standard linear barrel is generally sufficient. However, certain hard-to-reach or obstructed places may be shielded by the blast of air from the linear barrel of a standard blow-gun. Because areas of use vary greatly, it has been heretofore necessary to have multiple blow-guns of variously configured fixed barrels.
The use of two or more separate blow-guns requires disconnection of a pressurized air hose to the intake of one blow-gun and then subsequent reconnection of the pressurized air hose to the intake of a second blow-gun. This procedure is both time and labor-intensive and often requires a delay in work. Moreover, this procedure is largely unnecessary since the handle of a blow-gun serves the same function (i.e. receiving air from a pressurized air source via the air intake and then distributing the air to the barrel attachment) regardless of the barrel attached thereto.
A single blow-gun having a pivoting barrel capable of achieving non-linear configurations can respond to any number of different situations in a work environment, without the cost and inconvenience of maintaining a plurality of blow-guns having differently-configured fixed barrels. Similarly, a blow-gun with a quick-connect attachment device can allow for the easy swapping of barrel attachments, such as pivoting, telescoping, swiveling, fixed length, etc., thus enabling the use of a single blow-gun with many attachments instead of multiple separate blow-gun units.
A need therefore existed for a blow-gun having a quick-connect attachment device capable of coupling to, among other barrels, a pivoting barrel with sufficient strength to act as a barrel for a blow-gun, while at the same time allowing the manipulation of the barrel into non-linear configurations which could then be maintained during use of the blow-gun.
An object of the present invention is to provide a pivoting blow-gun with a pivoting barrel having sufficient strength to act as a barrel for a blow-gun, while also allowing the manipulation of the pivoting barrel into non-linear configurations which would then be maintained during use of the blow-gun and the passage of air through the barrel.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a blow-gun with a quick-connect attachment device to allow for the easy swapping of barrel attachments, thus enabling the use of a single blow-gun handle unit with a plurality of attachments.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a pivoting blow-gun is disclosed, comprising, in combination, a handle having an intake end and an outtake end and a trigger disposed therebetween, the handle is dimensioned to receive pressurized air through the intake end and deliver the pressurized air through the outtake end, the trigger is dimensioned to regulate the flow of the pressurized air, and a pivoting barrel coupled to the outtake end of the handle, the pivoting barrel having sufficient strength to receive pressurized air from the outtake end of the handle while at the same time the pivoting barrel is dimensioned to allow the manipulation of the pivoting barrel into non-linear configurations, the non-linear configurations are maintainable during passage of air through the pivoting barrel.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a blow-gun is disclosed, comprising, in combination, a handle having an intake end and an outtake end and a trigger disposed therebetween, the handle is dimensioned to receive pressurized air through the intake end and deliver the pressurized air through the outtake end, the trigger is dimensioned to regulate the flow of the pressurized air, a barrel having an intake end and an outtake end; and a quick-connect attachment device comprising two mating members, one of the mating members being located on the outtake end of the handle and a corresponding other of the two mating members being located on the intake end of the barrel.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a blow-gun useful in cleaning operations is disclosed. The blow-gun comprises, in combination: a handle having an intake end and an outtake end and a trigger disposed therebetween, the handle is dimensioned to receive air through the intake end and deliver the air through the outtake end, the trigger is dimensioned to regulate the flow of the air; a pivoting barrel coupled to the outtake end of the handle, the pivoting barrel having sufficient strength to receive air from the outtake end of the handle while at the same time the pivoting barrel is dimensioned to allow the manipulation of the pivoting barrel into non-linear configurations, the non-linear configurations are maintainable during passage of air through the pivoting barrel; and a cleaning solution hose coupled proximate the outtake end of the handle so as to permit mixing of cleaning solution passing therethrough with the air and discharge of the cleaning solution and the air through the barrel.